Medicare, in general, gives you the freedom to go to any doctor, hospital or other provider that accepts the coverage, and to seek treatments your doctors recommend without needing pre-approval from the government.

But Medicare has holes and costs. Most notably, it does not limit how much you must pay out of pocket, so a lengthy or recurring illness could become very expensive for you. Also, it does not cover dental, vision, hearing, long-term nursing home care or medical treatment if you are outside the country.

Medicare Advantage HMO-style plans may charge a monthly premium in addition to your part B premium, but they generally have low co-pays and deductibles. They often cap your annual out-of-pocket costs, a nice protection.

MA plans may go beyond Medicare to cover dental, vision, hearing, drugs and even extras like gym memberships and over-the-counter medicine. But you must use the doctors and providers in the plans network, or pay a higher amount. Also, most plans require you get their approval in advance before they will pay for you to see a specialist, take a drug, get a test or get a treatment.

Your decision may come down to this: How important is it to you to have unfettered access to your favorite doctors and hospitals. If that is very important, dont consider an MA plan unless your favorite providers are in its network. You can find this out by asking the providers or checking a copy of the plans network.

If you wouldn't mind changing doctors, you can shop for MA plans based on other factors such as price, benefits, freebies and extras.

If extras are a big point for you, also check into a Medigap plan instead of an MA plan. More on this later.